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Microsoft is officially killing Windows version 1809, better known as the October 2018 Update. The failed release will stop being supported starting May 12, 2020. Of Microsoft's litany of the recent update fails, the October 2018 Update stands out for its long delays and deadly bugs. Microsoft was so far behind with the update that it skipped the Release Preview phase altogether before launching in October 2018. It didn't take long for Microsoft's mistake to catch up to them. Shortly after its release, the update was determined to be permanently deleting users' files. Early adopters found that data had been removed from their Photos and Documents folders upon startup. The bug was so bad that Microsoft stopped rolling out the October update to investigate. A fix was found, but the issues were only getting started. The file deletion bug was the first in a series of headaches that ranged from driver compatibility to Intel processor problems. Microsoft has been patching Version 1809 since it released, with the latest fix arriving just last month. Now Microsoft is getting rid of the baggage it carried around last year by ending security updates for all editions of Windows 1809, including Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro for Education, Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Windows 10 IoT Core. That shouldn't be a concern for most Windows 10 users considering Microsoft announced that it would start forcing people to upgrade past Windows 10 1809 to the latest Windows 10 November 2019 update. Still, some Windows 10 users are still clinging on to the troublesome update, perhaps out of fear of how bad the sequel could be. If you're one of those people, here are the steps you should take to keep your device safe. It's generally a good idea to keep your system up-to-date. Why? To ensure you're getting the latest security updates that fix any vulnerabilities in the operating system. That said, updates like 1809 show why you should probably wait for any bugs to be ironed out before installing a new update. With the Windows 10 October 2018 losing support, it's more important than ever that you update your system to the latest Nov 2019 version. Microsoft is going to force an update before May, but you should do it manually as soon as possible. Find out what you can do by visiting OUR FORUM.

A widely circulating piece of Android malware primarily targeting US-based phones used a clever trick to reinfect one of its targets in a feat that stumped researchers as to precisely how it was pulled off. xHelper came to light last May when a researcher from security firm Malwarebytes published this brief profile. Three months later, Malwarebytes provided a deeper analysis after the company’s Android antivirus app detected xHelper on 33,000 devices mostly located in the US, making the malware one of the top Android threats. The encryption and heavy obfuscation made analysis hard, but Malwarebytes researchers ultimately concluded that the main purpose of the malware was to act as a backdoor that could remotely receive commands and install other apps. On Wednesday, Malwarebytes published a new post that recounted the lengths one Android user took to rid her device of the malicious app. In short, every time she removed two xHelper variants from the device, the malware would reappear on her device within the hour. She reported that even performing a factory reset wasn't enough to make the malware go away. Company researchers initially suspected that pre-installed malware was the culprit. They eventually dropped that theory after the user performed a technique that prevented system apps from running. Malwarebytes analysts later saw the malware indicating that Google Play was the source of the reinfections, but they ruled out this possibility after further investigation. Eventually (and with the help of the Android user), company researchers finally identified the source of the reinfections: several folders on the phone that contained files that, when executed, installed xHelper. All of the folders began with the string com.mufc. To the researchers’ surprise, these folders weren’t removed even though the user performed a factory reset on the device. “This is by far the nastiest infection I have encountered as a mobile malware researcher,” Malwarebytes’ Nathan Collier wrote in Wednesday’s post. “Usually a factory reset, which is the last option, resolves even the worst infection. I cannot recall a time that an infection persisted after a factory reset unless the device came with pre-installed malware.” Hidden inside a directory named com.mufc.umbtts was an Android application package, or APK, that dropped an xHelper variant. The variant, in turn, dropped more malware within seconds. And with that, xHelper once again menaced the user’s device. The user finally rid her device of the malware after using an Android file manager to delete the MUFC folders and all their contents. Because the malware was somehow identifying Google Play as the source of the reinfection, Collier recommends people in a similar position disable the Google Play Store app before removing the folders. There's more posted on OUR FORUM.

It's official. Mobile World Congress, the largest trade show for mobile technology, isn't happening this year. Per a report from Bloomberg, GSMA CEO John Hoffman said that it's now "impossible" for the event to continue due to rising concerns and effects of Coronavirus. Shortly after that initial report came out, the GSMA issued an official press release. It reads: "With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has canceled MWC Barcelona 2020 because of the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event. The Host City Parties respect and understand this decision. The GSMA and the Host City Parties will continue to be working in unison and supporting each other for MWC Barcelona 2021 and future editions. Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world." If you're a little confused by this news, we don't blame you. Just earlier today, the GSMA confirmed that MWC was still taking place despite fears of Coronavirus. However, it was also reported that the organization was actively trying to cancel the trade show, but couldn't as a result of the Spanish government not declaring the virus as a health emergency. Prior to this announcement, we'd seen company after company announces that they were deciding to forgo attending this year's show in an effort to keep the health of its employees safe. This includes the likes of Sony, Nokia, TCL, ZTE, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and others. Following GSMA's cancellation notice, Microsoft confirmed it will not be present at MWC 2020. "We fully support the GSMA's decision to prioritize the health and welfare of all participants and look forward to sharing Microsoft's latest innovations at a future date," a Microsoft spokesperson said. The decision for GSMA to properly cancel Mobile World Congress isn't all that surprising considering how many attendees were already dropping out and was likely the right call in the grand scheme of things. Even so, it's still a huge blow to the mobile industry. Any planned announcements will now likely come in the form of press releases, so while the information will get out one way or another, there's no getting around the impact of this move. Posted on OUR FORUM.